Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to wrist-borne launchers for toy vehicles, and more particularly to a launcher for a vehicle having a road-engaging flywheel which is revved up on the launcher area by means of an electric motor whereby the flywheel, when the vehicle is thereafter released by the player, functions to drive the vehicle.
Many toy vehicles are provided with a spring motor which when wound up, acts to store energy. The spring motor is operatively coupled through a gear train to a set of wheels on the vehicle which are driven as the spring unwinds.
In order to obviate the need for a spring motor and a winding operation, it is known to make use of a flywheel as the vehicle motor. Because of its relatively heavy mass and inertia, the flywheel serves to store motive energy. To exploit the inertia characteristic of a flywheel, the typical vehicle of this type is provided with a retractable pull-out string operatively coupled to the flywheel. When the string is pulled out by the player and the flywheel thereby set into motion, the axle of the flywheel then engages a gear train to drive a set of wheels on the vehicle. Whether using a flywheel or a spring-wound motor, conventional toy vehicles also incorporate gear trains and clutches, and are therefore relatively complex and expensive to manufacture.
Also known are toy vehicles which include a miniature electric motor and a battery compartment as well as switches. When the motor is activated, it drives a set of wheels through a gear train. Because such electrically powered vehicles are comparatively heavy, the motor therefor must be capable of operating under heavy load conditions, and this adds significantly to the cost of the vehicle.
In recent years, toy vehicle launchers have been developed in which the launcher is strapped or otherwise attached to the wrist of the player so that the player can then, by pointing his hand, determine the direction of vehicle travel when the vehicle is released. The vehicle, itself, in the typical launcher, is without any motor. But the launcher includes a spring-operated catapult which when unlatched by the player hurls the vehicle forward. This has limited play value; for once released, the vehicle, which has no motor, can only travel a short distance.